An easier way is to 'form' the end of the spring so that the stud will slip into the hole as the shaft is rotated towards the hole. This has the advantage of 'self restoring' if the quill is retracted too far. However it is less likely to exit the hole with the 'formed end'.

The 'forming' places the spring hole beyond the bore, so that the quill feed shaft rubs against the 'inside' of the spring. As the 'stud' approaches the hole, it slips into the hole and further rotation bottoms the stud in the slot allowing normal tension build up. Takes about 10 seconds(or less).

'Forming' takes longer.

JPG - Wow, I'm afraid I just don't follow. My spring has a separate little piece of similar spring metal that it catches in turn on and that catches on the screw head (or similar item) sticking out of the shaft. Oh, I think you describe making a spring that doesn't have that piece end up working somewhat like this, where it catches automatically.

You can see that separate piece in the photo...
[ATTACH]24810[/ATTACH]

RPD - I'm not having trouble getting the spring case and spring back on the shaft and engaging - that is going fine (and I've done it a bunch as I messed around and cleaned it). I was thinking of taking the spring all the way out to clean it. I appreciate the link nonetheless.

I ended up compressing the spring (on the shaft) to separate the layers and squirted mineral spirits in to flush out the dirt, stopping when dirt no longer came out. I hair dried it with the spring tightened again to try to ensure I got the MS out.

I will certainly get some silicone lube for this and follow your lead, Bill. Why not use it elsewhere? Does it stay tacky? I do know it can wreck havoc with wood finishes.

RBursek - I think I'm very much a mutt. Irish for that name, I think. Never was able to learn any family history, really bugs me that I couldn't. Not even sure why. Probably some horrid dark story of family betrayal or some such that made them not talk about the past OK, probably not. My folks moved out west before I was born and travel was too costly so the family was separated from the larger extended family back east wherever. Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, etc.

Fitz,
I just had my spring housing out too, I am in the same process as you on replacing bearings on the upper spindle on a 57 greenie, and cleaning it up. In the process the quill hadle was not locked and the spring unwound and became disconnected from the pin. BUT my spring is "1" piece, the key lock end is part of the spring. I wont say your end is broken off because in the pic it is so symetrical, the "ears" on both sides of the small piece. I have seen 2 pieces that have ears like that and interlock under "pull apart" tension, but not on a spring in a housing like that. It seams/looks impossible to do that, then lock the piece on the pin, and get it all (main part of spring) under tension again once installed.
I wonder if that piece broke off uniformily, for what ever reason. I am not an expert and have no real experience with springs and the type of steel that is used and how to work with it. Mine was as clean as your pic when I opened/removed the shaft it sits on. I do know this, that springs of that style, when wound and all the "layers" are tight against each other, can rust together, if not being used for long periods, depending on humidity or H2O contamination, (wound tight, then unwound), if it does not have a light coating of some type of lube/anti corrosion substance on it.
Some how I thought in a previous post you mentioned you were "Down Under", thats why I asked about the nationality, a bit of the Irish in me too, best side!!!

Fitz, the small end with the key hole has broken off, the spring should be all one piece.

The quill spring on one of my 10ERs was broken like that.

[ATTACH]24816[/ATTACH]

I took the spring out of the housing and drilled a new key hole.

[ATTACH]24817[/ATTACH]

Drilling was easy. I left the little points where the two holes intersect, this worked out well as it snaps on to the pin and resists coming loose.
While the spring is out of the housing you can clean and lube it properly. Wear gloves when you rewind the spring.

fitzhugh wrote:OK, I'm posting this here instead of starting a new thread:
I'm looking at my quill return spring and seeing a fair amount of gunk in there.
Do I...
A) take the spring out and clean it up, risking not being able to replace the spring?
B) try and get enough mineral spirits in there to rinse out as much crud as I can without removing spring - using the shaft to wind and unwind spring to try and get out crud?
C) just admit defeat and ignore it?

I'm cleaning everything as well as I can, taking everything apart to the degree I can. So far I have only left bearings on shafts and the motor untouched. Oh, and haven't taken the quill completely apart (yet). So I'm quite tempted to take it out.

How much of a nightmare is it? If Bill Mayo is avoiding it...

And Steve, I don't follow: you mean feed the spring back in through the slot it hooks over on the case/cover/thing it hooks to on the outside? That slot points to the center of the shaft on mine, not at an angle. Seems it would be very hard to feed the spring in through it.

Fitzhugh

There is plenty of clearance on mine...for the spring to feed through the slot ...and as you are winding the spring in... it is coiling tight around the arbor with all of the free space available around the barrel shell...when you release the tension the spring moves to the shell of the barrel...It never fills the barrel..if it did there wouldn't be room for it to operate the quill return..

I am currently away from home(again), but will try to post some pix of what I described above(assuming I have spare parts to show;)).

Just have a minute, but I'll write what I can...
It's funny, I don't doubt that it is broken but it actually works well this way. The part hooks on the pin and the spring caddy he's on the part so well I wondered why they changed it when I saw the video of the guy struggling to hook the spring on the pin! I suspect a previous owner may have bent the spring so it catches this way after it broke.
What you see in the photo is after I cleaned it up a bunch.

fitzhugh wrote:Just have a minute, but I'll write what I can...
It's funny, I don't doubt that it is broken but it actually works well this way. The part hooks on the pin and the spring caddy he's on the part so well I wondered why they changed it when I saw the video of the guy struggling to hook the spring on the pin! I suspect a previous owner may have bent the spring so it catches this way after it broke.
What you see in the photo is after I cleaned it up a bunch.

So you have a 'hook' rather than a hole/slot.;)

Whatever works.

Do you have a return spring for a 10er? If so what is the price? Thanks Dbarnes2

dbarnes2 wrote:Do you have a return spring for a 10er? If so what is the price? Thanks Dbarnes2

What is wrong with the one you have? If it broke near the end where the keyhole is, you can repair the one you have ...